Criminal Defense Cases

With 19 years of experience, Attorney Jeff Dean has won numerous trial victories, not guilty verdicts, outright dismissals, and favorable plea bargains for his clients… far too many to list here. But here is just a sampling of some of those results.

CONVICTION OVERTURNED IN INTERNET SOLICITATION CASE

Jeff Dean’s client was charged with solicitation of a minor after communicating sexually with a minor online. The child told client that she was of legal age. However, the internet solicitation statue prohibited an accused from asserting that he thought the child was an adult. Jeff argued that this prohibition against asserting “mistake of age” as a defense violated client’s due process rights and that the conviction must be reversed. The Court of Appeals agreed with Jeff Dean, reversed the conviction, and dismissed the case. – (Read Full Article in the StarTribune)

Jeff Dean wins DISMISSALS of DWI charges.

Jeff’s client was charged with DWI after the police found client intoxicated and sleeping in his car. Jeff argued that the case must be dismissed because the evidence was insufficient to prove that his client had physical control over the vehicle. The Judge agreed with Jeff and dismissed all charges.

Jeff Dean wins NOT GUILTY verdict in CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE case.

Following the execution of a search warrant, Jeff Dean’s client was charged with a third degree felony controlled substance crime. Mr. Dean argued successfully that the drugs were planted on the client. The client was acquitted of all charges.

Mr. Dean’s client was charged in separate cases with Assault and DWI. The client would have lost his immigration legal status if convicted of any of the charges. After extensive preparation and meetings with prosecutors Mr. Dean got the charges dismissed in both cases thereby saving his client from jail and being deported.

Mr. Dean’s client was charged with the most serious form of criminal sexual conduct when his two stepdaughters accused him of molesting them. Mr. Dean investigated the case and determined that the stepdaughters were told by a relative to make up the accusations. The client was acquitted of all counts. The acquittals spared the client from 172 months incarceration and from being deported to Liberia, where he had fled the civil war.

Another win in a CRIMINAL SEXUAL CONDUCT case.

In this case, a young man was charged with criminal sexual conduct after a married woman, whom he acknowledged having an affair with, claimed that he raped her. Jeff Dean argued that the woman’s date-rape accusation was a fabrication invented to avoid losing her husband. The jury found Jeff’s client NOT GUILTY.

Jeff Dean wins NOT GUILTY verdicts in MURDER and MANSLAUGHTER case.

Jeff’s Client was charged with murder and manslaughter for allegedly shooting a man at a party. The police said that the client confessed the murder to them, a witness testified that she saw client shoot the man, and client’s fingerprints were found on the gun. The case appeared so strong for the state that the prosecutors would not offer a plea bargain to anything less than a sentencing guidelines sentence. Jeff Dean conducted an extensive forensic investigation, determined that the physical evidence contradicted the witness’ story, and that it was the witness who had likely committed the murder. Despite what initially appeared to be overwhelming evidence of guilt, the jury acquitted Jeff’s client on all counts.

Mr. Dean wins high profile NOT GUILTY verdict in AIDING AN OFFENDER case.

Jeff Dean’s client was charged with aiding an offender for being an accomplice to a gunman who allegedly shot four people. In his investigation of the case, Mr. Dean determined that the prosecutor had identified the wrong person as the gunman. Mr. Dean successfully argued at trial that it is impossible to be an accomplice to a person who committed no crime. His client was acquitted in just 90 minutes. (Read Full Article in the StarTribune about Jeff Dean’s win in an aiding an offender case)

Jeff Dean wins DISMISSAL of BURGLARY charge.

Client was charged with burglary after his DNA was found on material at the scene of the crime. Jeff Dean brought a motion to dismiss for lack of probable cause and insufficient evidence. Mr. Dean told the Judge that his client’s DNA could have gotten on the material in ways that are consistent with innocence. The Judge agreed with Mr. Dean and dismissed the burglary charge outright.

Jeff Dean wins PRECEDENT SETTING case based on due process violation.

Mr. Dean’s Client, a masseuse, was convicted of prostitution following a sting operation by an undercover police officer posing as a customer. The undercover officer improperly engaged in sexual contact with the masseuse when conducting the sting. Jeff Dean argued to the Court of Appeals that the police officer’s sexual contact with Client violated her due process rights, thus requiring reversal of the conviction. The Court of Appeals agreed with Mr. Dean and REVERSED her conviction outright. This was the first time that an appellate court in the United States ruled that a police officer’s sexual conduct in a prostitution sting violated due process. – (Read Full Article in the StarTribune about Jeff Dean’s precedent setting case)

Mr. Dean’s Client was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly having sex with a mentally impaired woman. Jeff Dean argued there was insufficient evidence that the client knew the woman was mentally impaired. The Judge agreed and dismissed the charge. The prosecutor then gathered more evidence and re-charged the case. Mr. Dean again argued the evidence was insufficient and again the Judge agreed with Mr. Dean and dismissed the charge. For a third time, the prosecutor gathered additional evidence and re-charged the case; and for a third and final time the Judge dismissed the charge based on Jeff Dean’s presentation of the case. The Judge praised Mr. Dean for his persistence in getting the charges dismissed.

Mr. Dean wins NOT GUILTY verdicts in AIRPORT SEX STING.

In the same sex sting that snared U.S. Senator Larry Craig at the Minneapolis airport, client was charged with two crimes for looking into the bathroom stall of an undercover police officer. The Officer was in the bathroom stall sending signals of interest to others, including foot-tapping. Jeff Dean successfully argued that there could be no invasion of the officer’s privacy when the officer himself invited the conduct. The client was acquitted on all counts. Senator Larry Craig later adopted Mr. Dean’s defense strategy in his appeal.

Another WIN in a sex sting operation.

Following complaints of sexual activity in a St. Paul park, police conducted a sting using an undercover officer posing as a person seeking sex. The Client was charged with indecent exposure/lewd conduct after he sexually touched the undercover officer. Jeff Dean argued at trial that the police action of pretending to be sexually interested in his client was entrapment. The jury found his client NOT GUILTY. (Read In Lavendar Magazine about the sting and acquittal)

Jeff takes on pro bono case for homeless man and has begging law struck down as unconstitutional.

Jeff Dean’s client, a homeless and hungry man, was standing on a street corner in Minneapolis holding a sign asking for money to buy food. Police charged the man with panhandling, a criminal misdemeanor. Jeff Dean filed a motion to dismiss arguing that the Minneapolis panhandling ordinance violates First Amendment free speech protections. The Judge agreed, dismissed the charge, and ruled that the Minneapolis panhandling law is unconstitutional on its face.

Jeff Dean gets DOMESTIC ASSAULT charges DISMISSED.

Client was charged with domestic assault after getting into a fight with his girlfriend. Jeff Dean successfully argued insufficiency of the evidence. The Judge agreed and dismissed the charge.

Jeff Dean wins DWI IMPLIED CONSENT hearing by successfully arguing that his client did not refuse to take the chemical test.

Mr. Dean’s client, an Iraq war veteran, was arrested on suspicion of DWI after police found client asleep in his car with the engine running. Police requested that Client submit to a blood alcohol test and Client responded that he just wanted to die. Police then offered a urine test and Client said he did not “have to pee.” The State revoked client’s driver’s license, alleging that he refused the test.

Jeff Dean persuaded the judge that Client was experiencing PTSD and therefore did not refuse the blood test, and that he also did not refuse the urine test but instead was unable to physically comply. The judge agreed and rescinded the driver’s license revocation.

Another win in a DWI case.

In this DWI victory, Jeff successfully argued that the evidence was insufficient to establish that his client was guilty of DWI. His client was exonerated and the charges DISMISSED

Mr. Dean gets CYBERSEX Conviction Reversed and Charges DISMISSED

Jeff Dean’s client was charged with electronic solicitation of a child under a state law that makes communicating sexually explicit materials to children below 16 years of age via the Internet a felony. Jeff argued to the Court of Appeals that the evidence did not prove his client was aware of the minor’s real age. The Court agreed, reversed the conviction, and dismissed the charges. (Read full article in the Minnesota Star Tribune about Jeff Dean’s victory in the Court Of Appeals)